2018 Annual Members’ Meeting Award Winners

Meet BikePGH’s 2018 Award Winners

Each year at our Annual Members’ Meeting, we recognize individuals and organizations for going above and beyond to help us achieve our mission or help move the needle and make Pittsburgh a better place for biking and walking. Take a look at the impressive accomplishments and dedication of our 2018 awardees!

Volunteer of the Year

Bike Pittsburgh is privileged to have an amazing community of volunteers supporting our work. Whether attending our monthly volunteer nights, helping out at events like OpenStreetsPGH and PedalPGH, supporting our advocacy efforts, or working with our education programs, volunteers are crucial to almost every part of what we do.

Among the 350 people that contributed 2000 volunteer hours to our work this year, there’s one volunteer that has gone far above and beyond: James Simkins. James spent 120 hours of his time volunteering with Bike Pittsburgh’s Positive Spin program, mentoring youth as they learned the essential skills needed to safely operate bikes and navigate city streets, trails, and parks. The staff of Bike Pittsburgh, particularly the Education Team, are so grateful for the consistent support that James provided throughout the program.

Advocate of the Year

While it doesn’t always attract the headlines and article clicks, good policy is the fuel for creating the communities that are safe and accessible for people of all ages and abilities. These neighborhoods encourage healthy living, are easy to walk, easy to bike, and easy to catch a bus.

The Triboro Ecodistrict, comprised of the Boroughs of Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg, are leading the region in this charge – no small task, especially in some of our oldest neighborhoods with their narrow streets bisected by PennDOT roads. However, they have found a tool in Complete Streets policies to begin addressing these issues and provide a vision and voice for their residents.

After the City of Pittsburgh passed a Complete Streets Ordinance in 2016, we knew that it would inspire surrounding municipalities to also pass their own policies. We are proud to honor the Triboro Ecodistrict Boroughs of Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg for adopting Complete Streets Policies and becoming the innovators and the inspiration for the rest of the region to follow suit.

Educator of the Year

Our education team is full of so many amazing people. We have shed a good bit of light on our teachers and instructors and their direct service to the to the youth, families, and friends here in Pittsburgh. So this year we wanted to shed some light on the work, and education that goes into maintaining our fleet for our Positive Spin program.

Jenny Stevens has been part of the Pittsburgh biking community for a long time and has been wrenching on Positive Spin bikes for over three years. As a lead mechanic in our shop, Jenny has not only brought her dedication to youth, bike safety, and community, but she has brought out her innate teaching skills. Jenny has supported and taught many volunteers, novice mechanics, and experienced mechanics alike many skills while wrenching the fleet. Servicing ~150 bikes per season, Jenny and the mechanic team make our youth programs possible and safe! Thank you, Jenny, for your leadership, hard work and inspiration to us all.

Organization of the Year

With a motto of, “LOVE EVERYONE; EXCLUDE NO ONE,” St. Andrew’s has welcomed up wholeheartedly since 2010!! This is much-needed recognition for their unconditional support. We have custom built shelving, storage for as many as 150 bikes at a time, storage for our tools and supplies and space to set up shop in between seasons, flexibility to bring bikes and supplies in and out of the church on a consistent basis, plus a supportive staff! While we do not have a formal connection with the church at this point, as we are not congregants, they have shown dedication to contributing back to the community in this huge way, never charging us to use the space. Our youth programs would not be possible without their support!